The White House is planning to ask Congress to recover more than $ 1 billion for public broadcasting in the United States, according to two people informed about the plan. This measure may eventually eliminate almost all federal support to NPR and PBS.
The plan is to ask Congress to terminate US $ 1.1 billion in federal funding for Corporation for Public Broadcasting, the company funded by taxpayers who support public media organizations across the country, according to one of the sources. If Congress agrees, this will represent about two years of funding from the organization, almost all intended for public broadcasters, including NPR, PBS and their affiliated local stations. The Trump administration does not plan to ask Congress to recover about $ 100 million for emergency communications.
Government money represents a small part of the budgets of NPR e PBSwhich also generate revenue through sponsorship and donations. Most government financing goes to local stations, which depend on it to finance their newsrooms and pay for programming.
The proposal would be part of a broader termination package, a formal request to Congress to terminate previously approved funds, which would also eliminate billions of dollars for foreign aid, according to the two sources. The process is established by law, which gives the House and Senate 45 days to vote and approve the request after its submission. The White House plans to send this termination request in the coming weeks, the sources said. If Congress does not approve the request for termination, the money must be spent as originally planned.
The Trump government’s proposal to cut the public broadcasting financing occurs amid continuous pressure on the NPR e PBS by the Republicans in Congress, who intensified longtime attacks against the broadcasters. The CEOs of both organizations witnessed to Congress last month in a heated audience that unfolded in predominantly party lines: Republicans criticized executives for what they considered a liberal bias, while Democrats argued that the audience was a waste of time.
The request would also be the latest Trump administration movement to exercise pressure on media organizations. The government is waging a legal battle with the Associated Press Due to the decision to exclude the presidential coverage news service, breaking decades of precedents. Trump is also personally processing the CBS News and the The Des Moines Register.
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